The Center for Health Affairs

With a rich history as that nation’s first regional hospital association, The Center for Health Affairs has served as the collective voice of Northeast Ohio hospitals for over 100 years. More than a century since its founding in 1916, The Center continues the legacy of its founders, working collaboratively to increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery, providing insightful healthcare information to the public and undertaking initiatives aimed at improving the health of the community. Despite a century of rapid evolution in healthcare, The Center has adapted, constantly enhancing its service offerings to meet the changing needs of its members. Today, The Center’s efforts focus on areas that benefit from a regional approach:

The Center’s role as the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals is to remain ahead of the curve - weighing in on pending legislation, proactively communicating with members, anticipating future workforce shortages, applying for regional funding, and providing a single voice for the region when necessary.

Northeast Ohio Hospitals and CHAMPS Healthcare

One of the most important evolutions of the organization was the creation of CHAMPS Healthcare, the business affiliate of The Center for Health Affairs. Just like The Center, the driving principle underpinning the work of CHAMPS is to improve the effectiveness of healthcare delivery by providing services that increase operational efficiency, reduce business expenses and enhance the quality of patient care. Today, CHAMPS Healthcare serves more than 5,000 clients nationwide and brings in close to $23 million in revenue through its three business lines.

Though they have grown significantly since their inception, each of these business lines began as programs of the association and have been successful in part because of the incubation period within the shelter of The Center’s membership. The relationship has been mutually beneficial, with a portion of CHAMPS’ revenue directed toward supporting the work of the association. As a result, The Center has been able to provide an array of valuable services to its members without the need to raise dues, which have been maintained at the same rate since 2002.

The Center, located in downtown Cleveland, is proud to advocate on behalf of 34 hospitals in six counties. Click here for a list of our Northeast Ohio hospital members.

For more information on The Center’s strategic direction and the value provided to The Center for Health Affairs membership, please contact us or Deanna Moore, vice president of corporate communications, at 216.696.6900.